


The Jealous Waters

by Cân Cennau (cancennau)



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Gen, Introspection, Involves the Holodeck, War Themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-11
Updated: 2014-08-11
Packaged: 2018-02-12 18:38:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2120529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cancennau/pseuds/C%C3%A2n%20Cennau
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Holodeck is as far away from the war as one could get on the Enterprise, but Beverly cannot help ponder on its reprecussions on a friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Jealous Waters

**Author's Note:**

  * For [abluta](https://archiveofourown.org/users/abluta/gifts).



There was often not enough time on the starship Enterprise for introspection, unless one was held under lock and key in Sickbay, or on the night shift. The busy corridors of decks zero through to eleven bustled and teemed with life in the daytime hours - even though it was perpetually night outside the ship’s hull, the crew seemed to be instinctively wired to wake and work as if they were sat in an Earth office building rather than a warp-capable ship hopping through the solar system. There was always something to do - patients to see, engines to spruce up, new species to examine… So when Beverly was given the opportunity to relax and rest for a few hours, it was only natural a few moments of introspection would arise.

At this moment, two chocolate sundaes were on the menu, along with three hours of reading the latest issue of  Botanists Quarterly under the bright holographic sun of Holodeck 2B, and a dip in the warm waters of the artificial Pacifica with a close friend. That friend, Deanna, had initially whined that the holographic experience was nothing like the tranquil shores of the actual Pacifica, but it did just fine for Beverly - in fact, the holoworld was so “fine”, that if Beverly ever had the chance to visit the actual Pacifica, it was likely she would pack her bags and never come back.

If Pacifica was still standing after this war, that is.

Beverly sighed, and stabbed the glass of ice cream in her hand with the spoon. She was supposed to be relaxing! And yet, her attention still wandered to matters outside of the holodeck. The Dominion War took up most of her thinking space these days. The war affected them all. But Deanna most of all. Betazed had fallen to the Dominion only a few days before, and the speed in which it’s defences gave out barely gave the Betazoids enough time to process what was happening until it was far too late.

Beverly did not envy the Betazoid at all in this situation. There were times in the past, however, where Beverly was jealous of Deanna, and almost wished she was part-Betazoid too. Weren’t all friends a little jealous of each other sometimes? Deanna could tell when someone was being untrue, or when someone was upset, and she knew almost exactly what to say in such a situation, even if the other person didn’t know it yet. Beverly, however, was often flippant, stubborn and brutally honest, and ended up with her boots stuck in trouble after a thoughtless comment had slipped out (here she thought wryly of Tom Norris, the date she had hurt so badly with her comment about his beard). There were many times where she wished she grasped the emotional nuances a little quicker than she had. And like now, there were times she just  wished  she knew what her friend was feeling!

But in a way, Beverly supposed, eating another spoonful of the ice cream, that was where lay the crux of the issue. Deanna felt too much. Beverly only had her own emotions to deal with, but Deanna had not only her own conflicting emotions about the fall of Betazed, but also the emotions of the crew involved in the fight through her own job as ship’s counsellor, and in her own personal time with the general emotional ambience of the ship. Perhaps that was why she had recently come to spend so much time in her own in her quarters behind security protocols and several layers of shielding - Beverly had a sneaking suspicion Riker had helped her set them up so no-one could get in except themselves and the Captain. 

Then again, Deanna had gone to her above both Captain Picard and Will Riker. Both had tried to get her attention, giving well meaning condolences and offers to “talk it out”, but Deanna had brushed them off. It was Deanna who had suggested a few hours in the holodeck, with nothing but a few good books and a chocolate sundae for company. No explanation had been offered. Beverly did not hesitate in her acceptance - even she, the unthinking doctor, could sense the stress of the crewmen on board, and she honestly thought that this was something they both definitely needed. She could not contemplate being an empath on a starship at a time such as this - the countless crewmen aboard who had lost family and friends in the conflict were feeling worn down and upset, and Deanna had to compete against their feelings as well as her own. 

How many had Deanna lost on Betazed?

“Beverly!” Deanna’s shout brought her out of her musings. She was in the water, waist deep and waving to catch her attention. By the looks of her hair, she had already dived down deep into the sea, probably to have a look at the cityscape of hi'Leyi'a. The city was some way distant from the shore they relaxed upon, but the clear blue ocean made seeing it from here an easy feat.

“How’s the water?” Beverly shouted in reply, shielding her eyes from the sun’s glare from the glittering waves.

“Warm!”

“Wasn’t that what you said when we went swimming in the English Channel back on Earth?”

“It was warm once you were in it!”

“It was ten celsius, that’s what it was!”

Deanna laughed, an infectious sound that just seemed to suffuse the air with warmth. “Come in the water, Beverly!” she called playfully. “You can always ask the computer to warm it up if it’s too cold!” 

Beverly rolled her eyes. “You know I’m not much of a swimmer, Deanna.”

“Aww, come on! I can feel your gloominess from over here! You’re supposed to be  relaxing ! What you need is a dip in these waters to cheer you right up. Maybe a dive to see the coral reefs I happened to see near here…”

Pacifica coral reefs? Now  that  was interesting.

“Let me finish my ice cream!” Beverly finally replied, after a few seconds of thinking. Deanna gave out a cheer, before diving and vanishing from the water’s surface. 

Perhaps she wasn’t what someone would call empathetic, Beverly thought scraped the last few mouthfuls of chocolate ice cream from the sundae glass, but she was a good person at heart, and Deanna evidently saw the good will in that or she would still be in Sickbay, sorting out phantom pains and the odd soldier that kept creeping in from the other side of the fence. Deanna was a compassionate being, but Beverly was an honest friend, and sometimes that was what was needed.

Beverly set the empty sundae glass aside, got up, and in a few steps she was beside her friend and waist deep in water.

Deanna was right. The water wasn’t that cold, really.


End file.
